NEWS ITEMS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXVI, Issue 8415, 14 January 1899, Page 4

NEWS ITEMS.

High carnival was held at Cheviot over the STew Year, and some people there think the best way to regulate matters now would be to have one or two licensed hotels. Mr Seddon's "success as a politician may have something to do with the attacks made upon him " is halt suspected by the Echo, who thinks New Zealand's Premier " the incarnation of triumphant democracy." Caterpillars are doing a tremendous amount of damage in the Wairarapa. The other day, says the Leader, they were seen to be swarming from n paddock off which a crop of oats hud been cul, across to a green paddock on the opposite side of the road. The Wanganui Herald urges JJr John Willde, the well-known contractor, to become a candidate for the l'at&i sent nt the next election against Mr George Hutchison, and thinks he will have a good show of winning. It will be seen by our telegrams that another candidate has been chosen. Bishop Grimes, on arrival at the Christchurch railway station on Tuesday night, was met by the Roman Catholic c'ler«v of the diocese and a great crowd of the public, the Hibernian Society acting as a guard of honor. At the church he was presented with addresses and a purse of 200 sovereigns, the proceedings being most enthusiastic. While atVanikora Island, in the South Seas, the yacht Lady St. Aubyn, belonging to Mr Wildes Browuc, which returned to Sydney from a cruise amongst the islands last week, ascertained that the local tribes had condemned to dcatli a woman for being a sorceress, and causing a big wind and hurricane. Those on the Lady St. Aubyn interceded, and succeeded in exchanging a fat boar, which was on board, for the woman, who was brought on to Sydney in the yacht. The operations at the ToniOdna fiee/.iii" works, near Hastings, are not neaily as active just now ab they were at tlii.s time last year, says the Hastings Standard. The reason is that there is an abundance of feed, and farmers can alibi d to hold on to their stock, whereas last year they wore compelled, through ic*rcity of grasj., to sell. It is expected, however, that, the Tomoana works will he kept jjoing for a longer period this yc.ir than thi'v wtio Jrf6t.

Taking the whole of the mining population of New Zealand, and those depending on the mining industry for a livelihood, including their wives and families, they amount to about 31,500, or about oneninth of the European population of the colony. Mrs ".Vest, housekeeper at the Wellington Hotel, Chriscchurcli, died suddenly the other night. She ran to catch the tram, and after she got on board she was taken suddenly ill. She was conveyed to a chemist's shop, where she expired. Heart disease is believed to be the cause of death. A " biggest man " competition was held in Melbourne in connection with a bazaar the other day. The champion was proved to he a constable hailing from Preston, colonial born, who scored 34 points, 32 being awarded to his next opponent. .As this competitor also gained the special prize for the best entry of any country, his measurements may be interesting : — Height 6ft 4Jin, weight 19st 101 b, chest 46in, neck 17Jin, shoulders 49in, waist 45in, hips 48in, thigh 26in, calf lSJin, length of body 25in, length of leg 34in, length of arm 31in, circumference of muscle 1-tin. Nothing is more bewildering to the onlooker (says the Westminster Gazette) than the rapid shifting of scene in the polities of the world. l''rom Venezuela to the Cape, from the Cape to Crete, from Crute to China, from China to Kgypt, we }>ass almost in the twinkling of an eye. We learn the geography and adjust ourselves to the surroundings only to find that we must begin again in another part of the world. We are barely convalescent from China before we start an acute attack of Nile fever. It will be merely in accordance with the established conditions if so soon as we are out of danger about ]?ashoda we begin to develop a new morbid condition in an unexpected quarter. After all, there is safety in numbers, even in a number of crises. The crops in the Asbburton district are stated to present a magnificent appearance, and it would take a lot of very adverse weather to cause anything like a disaster just now. Thousands upon thousands of acres of splendid crops of wheat and oats are to be seen, and though some of those on the heavier lands have gone over and got a bit tangled, no serious damage has been done. All the root crops are in an advanced and vigorous stage. The reapers and binders -arc now busy amongst tho oats, and the paddocks are rapidly becoming thickly studded with stooks composed of heavily-headed sheaves. A lot is being cut considerably on the green side, and is, of course, intended to he used for chaff. The boys of the different Melbourne suburbs have lately gone in for a new kind of aquatic sport called channel regattas. This consists in putting two pieces o? wood into a street channel where there is a fair quantity of running water, and the piece of wood that is carried by the water first to a. given point wins the race. Each piece of wood has its hackers, who bet their pennies on the result, and often make use of very objectionable language. At the Carlton Court recently two boys, each 1G years of age, were proceeded against for floating wood in a street channel. The owner of some property complained to the police of the bad language made use of by boys floating pieces of wood in the gutter near his houses. The accused pleaded guilty, and were each fined 15s, in default seven days' imprisonment. A bush settler who is interested in dairying informs the Hawera Star that there is a good deal of dissatisfaction existing among factory suppliers as regards the correctness of the milk tests. The subject is an old one, and from time to time complaints are heard that the milk is of a higher standard than the tester registers. It is easy, however, to east suspicion on the tester, and hard to satisfy suppliers that all is correct. There have been cases brought under the Star's notice that certainly look as if there was something wrong with the tests, but the trouble is to suggest a check that would set all doubts at rest. It has been suggested that an official tester appointed by the Government would give suppliers security that they were being dealt with fairly, but this suggestion was regarded as unworkable. There is a prevailing idea that the acids used vary in quality and strength, and measures should be t.ikeu to ascertain whether this be correct. Is the increase of brutal crime in the colonies due to the Lincoln type of mutton we feed on ? About 20 years or so ago, when we first turned our back on the sweet and nutritious merino, Judge Johnston was of that opinion, and the same idea is brought forward again by"G.D.H.," of D.mnevirke, in a letter to the New Zealand Times, from which we make the following extract:— "At present a longwool sheep is sent Home, which, to keep it within the weight acceptable, has to be killed when it is neither lamb nor mutton. Can any amount of advertising reconcile the British public to using this flabby, immature coarse meat? Or ein there be surprise that it fails to realise satisfactory prices, or those of the small, well-grown, well-matured, fine-grained British breeds? Why, in these enlightened times, big longwool sheep are grown at all as an article of diet is so far unexplained. . . But many of the crimes of violence must be ascribed to the use of this meat, the fat of which is practically insoluble by the gastric juices, the dyspepsia thus induced no doubt taking a homicidal character. Indeed, this fat is insoluble by anything less than the strong alkalis used by the makers of coarse soaps." Much hti3 been written by learned Orientalists and travellers in the East as to the exact locality of tho Garden of Eden, and the speculations and comments upon the subject have been of n voluminous character ; still the point is not settled to the satisfaction of those who have taken a particular interest in the matter. That the subject, still continues to exercise the minds of scientists will be judged from the subjoined announcement made by the London Daily Chronicle on November 16 :— ' " Yesterday a small scientific party left Aden on an expedition of peculiar interest. Its object is to discover the exact locality of the Garden of Eden. The expedition, which is under the direction of Mr H. W, Seton-Karr, the well known traveller, explorer, and hunter, is making for the palaeolithic settlement in Somaliland, which is thought to cover the supposed site. Mr Seton-Karr lias already made several discoveries of archiuological and geological importance, and from his examination of the whole district, has come to tho conclusion that its features entirely correspond with those described in Genesis. He is not even troubled with the vexed question of the four rivers, for which he has many plausible solutions. A correspondent writes to the Tiniaru Herald as follows : — All the way down from Timaru to Dunedin, on both sides of the line, the country presents a beautiful appearance The crops everywhere look healthy and promising, and the fields as verdant :is in early spring. Dunedin itself is at present looking its best. The Gardens i are a picture to behold. The ncatlytrimmed lawns, the well-kept walks, the beautiful trees and shrubs, the lovely beds of colored geraniums, of petunias, of asters, and dahlias, and last, but not least, the magnificent fernery, combine to form a pleasure resort that any city might feel proud of. The suburbs show signs of material progress, and in nearly every direction houses are in course of construction. Writing of TMmcdin houses in general, I do not think anyone, however fastidious, could desiro more beautiful dwellings than arc found heie. The owner.-, apparently take a pride in their residences, and seem to vie with one .mother in beauty of situation, neatness of design, and well-kept frontages. Kctwccn Duncclin and Onn: the country also has a thriving appearance, but, as is to be expected, the crops in this purl are very much later than I hose further north. So f.ir, however, T have not seen any crop* superior to tho.H* in the vicinities of <\oraldine, Winchester, Tcimika, and Timaru." The Governor (Lord Ranfurly) visited Fieton in the Tutanekai on Wednesday, and was entertained 'it a luncheon in the Public Hall. His Kvcellcncy paid an ollicial visit to Blenheim, and was received at the railway station by the civic and public dignitaries. The Blenheim Rifles, with the Garrison 3^>nd, formed si euard of honor. The day was beautifully fine, and tho welcome of the Governor \\iis a very enthusiastic one. A public luncheon took place at 2 o'clock. The Governor left at 6 p.m. for Fieton. On Thursday Lord Ranfurly visited Nelson, where a* hearty welcome was extended to him and his party. A Ion? procession of volunteers, firemen, friendly societies, and children waving toitoi grass was formed, which was a very imposing siL'bt. Addresses were presented by the friendly societies and citizens. The National Anthem was sung by the children. The Garrison and Stoke Orphanage JJands were in attendance, Trafalgar street and the cnurcli steps were si beautiful sight, and were thronged with people. A tasteful triumphal arch was '■rected in the centre. In the afternoon the party lunched with the Mavnr, and were afterwards dii ven out to thcWuimea. The vice-regal party wore entertained at an n'.M'i.-stir concert in t lie evening in tlie ' '■••: uiii'.il Reocrvc, and at A picnic .it WiikupuuUu next day.

Auckland produced more gum than gold last year. Gum export, £538.088 ; gold, £471,237. The death of Thomas Anderson, of the Riggs, Tweedsmtiir, who is believed to have been the oldest shepherd in the kingdom, is announced (says the Kdinburgli correspondent of the Otago Daily Times). He was in Ilia hundredth year, and retired from his work when eightynine years old. Almost to the last he continued to attend Tweedsmtiir pariah church regularly, though to do so involved a walk of six miles, and ho was much respected as an elder of the church. Over England during the past few weeks a great wave of patriotism has spread. i We have awakened to our iiiitiomtl responsibilities ; ami every cheer that has gone up for Lord Kitchener has been an expression of this fact. The beneficial effect of this Sirdar "boom" has been very great. It has strengthened the hands of the Government in their political dealings of late. It has given the nation the tonic that is required. Above all, it has shown to the world that the stolid shopkeeping John Bull of to-day is just the s.ime John Bull who bred Nelson and Wellington, who splashed the map of the world with red, and is just as ready now as lie was in days gone by to maintain his plain rights — even at the cost of war. — Vanity Fair. The cables have been telling us about the failure of V.ittison's whisky firm. A cable from London to American papers on December 7tii stated : — The panic in whisky shares continues. It is stated that the assets of Paltison's bonded warehouse in Lcith, which has a lloorage of seven acres, exceed the liabilities by £150,000. None of the Scotch banks are involved a penny without security. The capital of the Pattison warehouse is invested in Scotch whisky to the amount of .£15, 000, 000. Last spring the firm had 138,000,000 gallons in the hands of distillers and factors, and this amount has since been considerably increased. Owing to the competitions of produceis without regard to consumption every inch of storage room in Glasgow is occupied with whisky. The directors think that the liabilities are under £1,000,000. Some of our settlers have been complaining of the weather being unfavorable for haymaking, but our troubles arc not to be named in the same day with those of the Australians. In many places in Australia last month the thermometer fell over 40deg. in six hours, alternating, almost, if not quite, betwixt the temperature of a grill and that of an ice chamber. In Melbourne the heat was 158.3deg in the sun, and 109.4 in the shade, at Bonrke a shiule temperature of llGdeg is reported, and at Longreaeh, Queensland, 120deg in the shade, birds dropping dead out of the atmosphere. We complain in Auckland of dust in Queen street— why, in Albury they had in a dust storm to light the gna at mid-day, the very sun being obscured. Houses and fences were half-bnried in the sand, as if from a sirocco from the Sahara. The unfortunate inhabitants had to breathe an atmosphere in which a yellowish dust seemed to have taken the place of oxygen. The relations between the bullet and the billet have been close of late. It is interesting, therefore, to know on expert authority that the closer these relations become the better for the billet. At the hist meeting of the New York Academy of Medicine the ways of the Mauser bullet in Cuba were dealt with. It was stated that the Mauser took its billet in the abdomen with almost pleasant results. The recipient could walk three or four miles to hospital, and arrive with every interest in the subsequent proceedings. Kven at 200 yards it might go through your head, and yet it would never enter your head to die in consequence. On the eontrar}', you would return to duty in a day or two. If, however, there should be any stand-offishness on your part, your relations with the LeeMetford bullet would not be so satisfactory. At Maritzburg the other day the breaking of a window of a Congregational Church was followed by ,i subdued remark on the part of one of the worshippers. It proved to be his last remark. The bullet had been fired at a range of some four miles off, and had found its billet in his aorta. It did not go right through the vessel, but just dropped inside. It droppen its man, though ! Some particulars of the Rnskin colony, in Tennessee, have recently been given by a correspondent of the London Chronicle. Each member of the colony receives the same wages, no matter what may be the state of his health, and no matter what may be his work. The labor day is fixed at nine hours, and while no interference is permitted with religious or domestic affairs, or with individual tastes, each member is supposed to suppress that natural freedom which prompts human beings everywhere to ignore the rights of others. The estate and the means of production and distribution are the property of the association, but each individual may claim as his own especial possessions his clothing and household furniture. The chief business of the community is in connection with the publication of a weekly newspaper, called the Coming Nation, and wood choppers and farm hands rejoice in the receipt of the. same salaries as the editor and the members of his staff. The community is composed principally of Americans, but there are a few Germans amongst them. Two large estates, purchased by Mr Hooley during the period of that gentleman's prosperity, were sold by auction a few weeks ago, and the prices obtained afford a very good criterion of the present value of agricultural land. The Wiltshire estate of 10,913 acres, included the greater part of six villages, the advowsons of one rectory and two vicarages, four public houses, and a water mill. The present rental was £6000 n year, and Mr Hooley had expended £27,000 on the property. The auctioneer said that the timber was worth £3000, that there was excellent shooting, and that the estate contained the " ruins of several historic castles." The sum realised was £98,000, or about £9 per acre. The Essex estates comprised 324-1 acres, and the property was about forty miles from London, fifteen from Cambridge, and fifteen from Newmarket. Tlie price realised was £39,500, or about £V 2 per acre, the rental being £2850 per annum. The real reason why these properties brought such low prices is to be found in the existence of the tithes, which have now to be paid by the landlord. A Dunedin resident, Air Charles May, has invented an automatic fire alarm of a very ingenious nature. Tlie principle of the alarm is, briefly, as follows : — A specially-prepared wire is stretched across a wall, and in the centre of the span there is an electric circuit closer. The wire is so set that at any given temperature it will close an eloctric circuit. In connection with the wire and circuit closer is a Morse transmitter, and an indicator at a given window. Any undue heat so affects the top wire as to cause contact with the bottom wire of the thermostat. Thereupon instant contact is made with the Morse instrument, which transmits a signal to the Fire Brigade station, indicating the building in which the fire is going on. Arrived at the building, a label which has dropped inside the window will reveal to the brigade the exact location of I the fire. In a public trial Mr May showed how by burning a piece of brown paper some five feet below a wire stretched across for the purpose the small amount of licaU generated was duly registered by an instrument fixed for the purpose. The electrical indicator showed a rise of temperature equal to odeg. Fahr., while an ordinary thermometer in the same field i\as not affected at all. Tlie one Morse instrument, Mr May assured the gentlemen present, would do for the whole of Bond street, and by means of a signal box at a stated place the brigade coming to I IJond street in accordance with the signal from the Morse transmitter would sec at a glance exactly where the (ire was situated. Sir Joseph Abbott, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of New South Wales, lias just been in Auckland, and being interview cd by a representative of the New Zealand Herald, said some plain things regarding the attitude of this colony, towards Federation that deserve the widest i possible publicity. "I think,"' he said, "it was very stupid of New Zealand not to send representatives to the Convention. Whether New Zealand could have come in or not just at the outset, .she would, had > she sent representatives to the Convention, have had a voice in framing a measure in which .she may ultimately be forced to become a partner. Ido not sec how NewZealand could very well come into the Federation at once, but the time for that, I think, must come. New Zealand must look in the fututc, as she looks now, to Australia for her markets. Our droughts aic New Zealand's harvests, and the whole of Australia at the present time is suffering from unprecedented drought. Under [federation, whatever the tariff may be, it will have to be paid on imports from New Zealand, if New Zealand is. not a party to the Federation, and probably that will ultimately compel New Zealand to come into the Federation, without having had a voice in the framing of the deed of partnership. West Australia, for instance, although not a party to the proposed Federation at present, was represented at the Convention, and will know something of v. li.it the FodPiMtiou moans when she is L.uiy to juin with the oilier colonies."

Work is lioing pushed on at the Parliamentary Buildings, but it is not anticipated tiiat the library will be fit to remove the books into by next session. Although the structure is now reduced to two stories, the ceiling of tho upper story is composed of iron girdevs, and made fire proof, with a view to use as a floor in the event of another story being added at a future date. A novel feature of the building is the use of terracotta blocks for the interior walla and the tinder part of the floors. It is believed this is the first example iv New Zealand, though it is common in America. Tho blocks .ire light, porous, and hollow, and useful for ventilation, and are fire proof. They are made i\t a very reasonable cost. The iron pillars supporting the floms will also be covered with terracotta. Everything possible is being done to make the edifice lire proof. It is even suggested to use glass for shelving in the library section, but this has not been finally decided upon. The old library will probably be used as rooms for Ministers, whose private apartments were in the portion pulled down.